Sick Days
by leiasbunsofsteel
Summary: A virus is spreading around Hoth, causing many of the rebels to get sick, including Princess Leia. With Luke gone on a mission, it's up to Han to take care of the fierce princess. Will he be able to successfully? Or will his temper get the best of him?
1. Chapter 1

It was evident a virus was spreading around the base. In the past week, numerous rebels have reported feeling dizzy, nauseous, and having a bad fever, all accompanied by a constant pounding headache and achy muscles. It was a classic case of Bonsellious that usually made it's way around the various rebel camps from time to time. It was only a matter of time until it spread to the Hoth base. The frigid temperatures of the ice planet weren't helping either, and only made the virus spread more rapidly. The medical droids have been working the most they have ever been before, due to the rapid increase of patients at the infirmary. Even Luke stopped in briefly to get his vitals tested before he was leaving to go on a mission to Thyferra.

"You're lucking out, going on this mission." Han said to Luke, as he was helping the young Jedi pack some crates into a small x-wing starfighter.

"Yeah, I suppose I am," Luke answered. "I feel bad leaving you and Leia behind though. I hope you two don't get horribly sick while I'm away."

"Eh, don't worry about me kid," Han patted his shoulder. "I usually don't get sick very often. And if I do, it doesn't stop me." Han paused for a moment. "As for your Worship… she'll probably work herself to death before she realizes she even got sick in the first place."

That comment made Luke feel uneasy. "Just…watch out for her, okay? She works way too hard, and I just don't want to see her get hurt."

Han inwardly frowned. For some reason, Luke's affections towards Leia always made Han a tad jealous. He wasn't sure why, but it made his insides twist up. Realizing he hasn't replied yet, Han finally answered. "Yeah, sure kid. Of course I will."

Luke finished packing up the rest of his belongings, and double checked to make sure he had everything. "Well Han, I'll see you soon." Luke smiled as he climbed aboard.

Han gave a short nod. "See ya soon kid. Be safe out there."

* * *

After Luke departed for his mission, Han Solo decided to explore the base to find the only other person he knew— Leia. He had a very complicated relationship with the Princess of Alderaan. At times, they were good friends, and other times bitter opponents, constantly verbally sparring with one other. A part of him wished he had the relationship Luke did with the Princess. They were close, undoubtedly, but just friends. Luke made it very clear to Han that he had no romantic feelings for Leia, which was a relief to the Corellian. Luke and Leia were close friends, and that was okay—but Han envied it. He wished he could get close to the Princess too, but the two always seem to fight whenever he made an attempt. Han sighed as he made his way through the various snowy caverns, passing many rebels, all coughing and sneezing.

"Captain Solo!" A voice called out to him, causing Han to spin around.

The voice belonged to General Rieekan, causing Han to straighten his posture a bit. "Hello General." Han saluted, "What can I do for you?"

"Could you please check up on Princess Leia? She's been working all day and I want to make sure she is doing alright."

 _Why is everyone so concerned about the Princess?_ Han thought. It seemed as if everyone was afraid for her safety. What made him uneasy though was that _he_ wasn't concerned. Han looked back to Rieekan. "Ah-em. Yes, of course."

"Thank you Captain Solo."

"Of course," Han nodded. "Where could I find the Princess at this hour anyway?" Han realized it was a little past 2300 hours, which was way past the normal time anyone should be working, even the Princess.

"She's probably in one of the military conference rooms." General Rieekan replied.

"Got it." Han nodded before going off to find Leia. He wandered through various snow-covered corridors, poking his head in each conference room. Most remained empty and dark. A few of them contained a rebel here and there, but most remained deserted. And now that Han was thinking about it, the base seemed a little more desolate than usual. It's not like anyone could _leave_ to go explore the icy planet. That would just be suicide. He assumed everyone was trying to get as much rest as possible, to prevent catching the virus. Well, everyone except Leia, he mused. Finally, he made it to a conference room at the end of the corridor, and found none other than Princess Leia sitting at the front, absorbed with the data pad in front of her. She didn't even notice he entered the room. It wasn't until he cleared his throat that she looked up and acknowledged his presence. "Your Worship," Han said.

"Captain Solo," Leia answered in a questioning tone. "What are you doing here?"

Han cleared is throat and walked a bit closer to the Princess. "General Rieekan asked me to come looking for you, to make sure you didn't drown yourself in work."

"Ah. Well, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine." Leia sniffed.

Han took one look at her and knew she was _not_ fine. Her eyes were bloodshot red from looking at the data pad, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Her nose and cheeks were red from the cold, yet he could tell she was sweating, despite it being bitter outside. Han felt a little bad for her, in a way. He could tell she was overworked and getting sick. "Are you sure? You don't look fine to me." He retorted, causing the Princess to raise a brow.

"Excuse me?" She began. "I can handle myself thank you very much. I don't need you, or anyone for that matter checking up on me."

"And why is that, _sweetheart?"_ Han added emphasis on the last part, his temper building. She made him so angry sometimes. He was just trying to do a nice thing and check up on her, and she was responding with such animosity.

"What do you mean? And don't call me sweetheart," Leia snapped back.

"Why don't you let anyone ever help you? You have so many people willing to back you up, go to great lengths to help you. And you just shake them off like they don't matter. Why is that?" Han demanded, his voice growing louder than he would have liked.

Leia lowered her head and began tapping on the data pad again. "Just let me do my work."

"And when was the last time you had a meal?" Han questioned. "A _proper_ meal."

"That is none of your concern, Captain Solo!" Leia shouted back.

"Leia you can't keep doing this to yourself. You're going to work yourself to death."

Leia was silent. Then finally, she shut off the data pad, placed it on the table and stood up. Han noticed her legs give way a little when she stood, alarming him. "Fine. I'm done working anyway. I'm going to bed." Han watched as she took one step towards the door, before stumbling over and falling unconscious into Han's arms. Caught off guard, Han was stunned to be holding her, eyes closed and clearly knocked out. From this angle, he could really just see _how_ sick she was. Beads of sweat covered her face, and light moans of pain escaped her mouth. She was clearly sick, just like everyone was afraid of.

Without thinking, Han lifted Leia into his arms, and carried her bridal-style. "You stubborn, stubborn Princess." Han whispered, as he carried her through the base to the nearest infirmary. He used a free hand to brush away a loose hair that covered her face, as her tight braid had become very loose during the commotion. In that one moment, the only thing on Han's mind was getting the Princess to safety. _Safety._ Han thought. And suddenly, he realized he cared about Leia as much as anyone else on this entire planet. And he just wanted to make sure she would be safe.

* * *

And with that, the first chapter is done! If you enjoyed, please leave a review, and follow the story so you will get alerted to future updates! Chapter two is coming soon :)


	2. Chapter 2

Panic flooded through Han as he ran through the snowy corridors caring the unconscious Princess. Luckily, since it was so late, not many rebels were around—not that he cared who saw him with her anyways. He hurried through passageway after passageway, careful not to further hurt Leia. From his viewpoint looking down at her, he could tell she was in a lot of pain. Her eyes were calm, but her brows were furrowed downward and she seemed to be slightly grimacing. Han's never seen her in this much pain before, and it scared him a little. He always saw her as this strong, powerful, resilient woman who could never let anything hurt her. And now, to see her in this state of vulnerability and torment frightened him.

He clutched Leia to his chest, trying to avoid further harm to come to her. Finally, he made it to the infirmary. Only a few rebels remained, getting last-minute treatment from the medical droids. One rebel occupied a cot in the far corner. Han looked down to Leia, before speaking, "Excuse me! The Princess passed out and needs immediate attention," Han stated, grabbing the attention of two medical droids and a nurse.

"Oh my! What happened?" The nurse exclaimed, leading Han to an empty cot where he placed Leia down.

"I really don't know. I was instructed by General Rieekan to go check on her, and when I went to go see her, she passed out in front of me…" Han trailed off. He'd rather not mention the part where the two were arguing, fearing the nurse would think it was his fault for her unconscious state.

The nurse pushed Han back so she could get a better view of Leia. "It's hard to tell right now, but it seems she's exhibiting the same symptoms of everyone else who has that nasty virus right now." She placed a hand to Leia's forehead and held it there for a few seconds, before calling over a medical droid to check the her vitals and get a proper reading of everything. Within seconds, the droid came over and began examining Leia, as she lay on the cot unmoving.

"The Princess has a temperature of exactly one-hundred and two degrees," the droid announced, before doing further testing. "Her heart rate has elevated to about 120 beats per minute, and she seems to be dehydrated and fatigued. She should be hooked up to an IV immediately to replenish missing fluids and nutrients." The droid concluded.

"General Solo, do you mind watching the Princess for a few minutes while I go to prepare the necessary IV's?" The nurse asked, standing up.

Han nodded and watched the nurse hurry away. His focus went back to Leia as he observed her intensely. Even with the fever, and sweat sticking to her skin and clothes, Han still thought she was gorgeous. Her pink cheeks were a pretty rosy color, and her parted lips and closed eyes made her look so peaceful, despite being in an obvious state of sickness. Of course he would never admit he found Leia to be attractive, at least not to her face. He'd rather keep his personal thoughts to himself.

The nurse returned, snapping Han out of his thoughts, and forcing him to pay attention to what she was doing with Leia. "I'm going to stick a few IV's into her until her vitals stabilize," the nurse explained, reaching for the first needle. As the nurse began sliding the needle into Leia's left arm, a piercing scream ran throughout the infirmary, startling both Han and the nurse. Leia shot up from the bed, with a panicked look on her face.

"STOP!" Leia cried, her eyes tightly closed as she trashed around the bed.

"Quick, sedate her!" The nurse shouted, as one of the medical droids came rushing over with a shot of sedatives.

"NO!" Leia screamed, as she pushed away the needle, "No…Darth….Vader….Alderaan….Torture…." Leia began sputtering out word after word, as she resisted the needle even more.

Han's mind was racing trying to find a way to calm Leia down. Before he had time to think however, the medical droid managed to stick a needle into her arm, calming the Princess back into her previous state of unconsciousness. Han breathed, _where did that come from?_ Her sudden outburst was very unexpected, and he thought about what Leia said. _Darth Vader? Alderaan…?_

"General Solo," The nurse began, "Could you maybe hold the Princess's hand? I know it seems like an odd request, but maybe if she subconsciously feels a familiar presence around her, it'll calm her for the rest of the procedure."

Han stared at her for a minute before responding, "Uhh, yeah…"

"Well I'm only saying it because you're her boyfriend, correct?" The nurse asked innocently.

Han's eyes widened at her statement, "Actually, no. We're just friends."

"Oh, I'm sorry," The nurse answered, "I just assumed because I always see you two around…" She trailed off.

Han chuckled, "It's okay, I don't mind helping." Han then reached for Leia's hand, and wrapped his fingers around hers. Her hands were ice cold despite her fever. He took his thumb and rubbed it against the back of her hand, and noticed her face became a little more calm. He wondered for a brief moment if _he_ actually did it, but pushed the thought from his mind to ask the nurse a question. "So, she just has a virus, right?"

The nurse nodded as she attached the last IV to Leia. "Yes, she is exhibiting all of the same symptoms. It's just a little worse in the Princess's case because of the dehydration and fatigue. Does she always do this?"

"I would assume so," Replied Han. "I don't really know the Princess too well, but whenever I see her she's always overworking herself, rarely having time to eat or take breaks."

"She should really understand that that's no way to live life, especially for her rank of authority. She needs to be as responsible for herself as she is for all of us." The nurse stood up. "But she'll be just fine. You can leave now if you want. The medical droids will be watching over her."

Han watched as the nurse walked away leaving him alone with Leia. She told him to leave, yet he couldn't just stand to leave the Princess alone like this. Luke's words rang in his head, _Just watch out for her, okay?_ But despite Luke's request, Han decided to leave Leia. A part of him wanted to stay— to watch over her and make sure nothing else harmed her. But for some reason, he thought it would be best for himself to get proper rest and then check on Leia first thing tomorrow morning. As he departed the infirmary, he asked the nurse what time he should come back to check on the Princess.

"Well, you can come around 0900 hours if you'd like. By that time the sedatives will have worn off so she'll be conscious."

Han nodded, "Okay, thank you." After a few more minutes of talking with the nurse, Han finally returned to the Millennium Falcon, completely exhausted. He couldn't believe the night he just had. _And to think I was supposed to play Sabacc with a bunch of the guys_ , Han thought, remembering he promised his fellow friends a few rounds of the popular card game. Han shrugged and boarded the ship to be greeted by Chewie. "Hey Chewie," Han nodded and Chewie roared in response. "Yeah, I never actually went to play. Instead I had to take your _royalness_ to the infirmary." That elicited another roar from Chewie. "Yeah she got the virus, no surprise there though. Princess works too hard." Han shrugged and strutted past his companion. "Anyways, I'm going to head off to bed, see you in the morning Chewie."

Han made his way to the bedroom and immediately flopped onto his bunk—fully clothed—and closed his eyes. He was completely drained from tonights events and didn't feel like properly changing. And before he could think about anything else, he quickly fell asleep.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed chapter two! Sorry it took a bit long to finally publish this, but I've been struggling to find the motivation to write this chapter *laugh nervously* I hope I didn't make Han too out-of-character in this chapter, although I feel like I may have a little...Let me know what you think!

The next chapter should be really good though, so I'm really looking forward to starting it! As always, leave a review if you enjoyed the story! Reviews are like my fuel, and without them I can't write. So leave one! Alright, thank you all so much for reading my story, and I'll be back with chapter three soon! :)

-Leiasbunsofsteel


	3. Chapter 3

Hello beautiful people! Before I start this chapter, I just want to say thank you so much to everyone that's reviewed, favorited and followed so far! It means a lot to me and I really hope you guys will continue to support this story. Anyways enjoy chapter three!, and I really hope you enjoy it! It was a lot of fun to write! :)

* * *

Han woke the following morning trying to remember what craziness had happened the previous night. He recalled taking the Princess to the infirmary, and seeing her react so violently to the needles. She muttered a bunch of words under her breath, and he wished he knew the reason why. He also remembered holding her hand, and how right it felt— as if it was meant to be. Han shook the thoughts from his head and sat up, realizing he fell asleep in his clothes from the previous night. Not caring to change them, he strutted out of his room to grab a cup of coffee. He was greeted by Chewbacca, who was busily working on a piece of a control panel. "Hey Chewie," Han sleepily said, as he grabbed a mug and filled it with the dark brown liquid. "I'll be leaving in a little bit to go check on Miss Worship," Han explained as he took a sip of his coffee. "You'll be fine by yourself for a little longer right?"

Chewie roared in response.

"Thanks," Han sipped the remainder of his coffee and nodded to Chewie as he walked toward the loading ramp of the Falcon. "See you later Chewie."

Han leisurely walked throughout the corridors of the base. He passed by many rebels and officers, smiling at a few he knew. He approached where General Rieekan was stationed and decided it would be best to fill him in on the events that took place this past night. He knocked before entering, and found the General talking to a fellow rebel who Han did not recognize. "Excuse me for interrupting," Han began.

"Captain Solo, what is it?" Rieekan replied, obviously in a hurry to get the conversation over with.

Han noticed papers were strewn across the table and he could tell he was busy. "I just wanted to inform you the Princess passed out last night, and she is currently at the infirmary. I don't think it's anything serious, and I'm going to check up on her now. I don't think it's best for the Princess to go straight to work again though."

The General shook his head, "This was exactly what I was afraid of…" He trailed off before piping up again, "Well, thank you for taking on that responsibility. I will be sure to let Mon Mothma know Princess Leia will not be able to work for a few days."

Han nodded before leaving the General to his work again. What Rieekan said echoed throughout Han's head. _This was exactly what I was afraid of._ Even the General, who was obviously busy with his own work noticed Leia wasn't herself. Why was he so oblivious? Han shook the thought away and continued down the hall to the infirmary.

When he arrived, he was greeted by a new nurse, this one very tall. "Hello, are you here for a check up?" She asked looking at her clipboard.

"Oh, no. I'm actually here to see how the Princess is. I was instructed by the nurse from last night's shift to go see how she was."

"Okay. Well she hasn't woken up from just yet, but you're more than welcome to wait here until she does. Feel free to grab a cup of coffee too." The nurse gestured to a small kitchenette on the opposite side of the corridor, where a few of the rebels were gathered.

"Sure, thank you." After Han had a second cup, he made his way back to the infirmary and took a seat in front of the Princess's cot. Despite all she went through yesterday, she looked extremely peaceful. Her braids had completely fallen down, revealing her long locks of dark brown hair. Leia's cheeks were flushed, and Han wondered if she still had a fever. He sat in silence, listening to the whirring and buzzing of the medical droids around him. He must've dozed off, because the next thing he knew, he heard a familiar voice call his name.

"Han?" Leia called, forcing Han to open his eyes. "Now look who's watching the other one sleep," Leia quipped smiling to herself.

"I-I wasn't watching you sleep!" Han stammered, kicking himself for falling asleep in the chair.

"Uh huh, alright laser brain. What are you doing here anyway?" Leia asked, as a nurse came over and lightly pressed a thermometer to her forehead checking her temperature.

"Don't you remember anything that happened last night your worship?" Han asked in a tone that seemed irritated. _The darn girl doesn't even remember I was the one who brought her here!_

"No, I don't recall, considering I just woke up from being unconscious for twelve hours!" Leia fired back.

"Your highness, please don't get agitated. You still have a temperature of one-hundred and one degrees." The nurse stated, walking over to grab some bacta from a cabinet.

Han, realizing the nurse was right, decided to speak calmly. "You passed out last night, and I brought you here."

"You did?" Leia asked shocked, as the nurse began to rub the bactagel across her forehead and chest.

"This will help reduce your fever." The nurse quietly spoke, before leaving the two alone to talk.

"Well I wasn't going to just leave you lying on the ground."

The two were quiet for a moment before Leia spoke again. "Thank you," she whispered quietly. She found those words difficult to say and she wasn't exactly sure why.

Han nodded, and the nurse came back over noticing the the two had finished talking. "Well, Princess, you have permission to be discharged. One of our medical droids checked your vitals an hour ago and everything seems to be normal. It is imperative however that you eat something immediately, and drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. I've notified General Rieekan and Mon Mothma that you will be absent from work for a few days." That last sentence caused Leia to tense up.

"I'm sorry, but I must return to work." Leia spoke. "The Alliance is counting on me, and I cannot let them down."

"With all due respect, your _royalness_ ," Han began. "Missing a few days isn't the worst thing in the world. You need proper rest."

Leia crossed her arms, and sat for a minute weighing her options. After she coughed and sneezed a few times, she made her decision. "Fine."

The nurse gathered a few items and put them into a bag. "I recommend you apply the bacta gel to your forehead, chest and back twice a day for a week. We've already applied it once today so you just need to apply it again tonight. After a week, come check in again to make sure the virus is permanently gone."

Leia nodded. "Alright, thank you."

"One more thing Princess," The nurse began. "Because you _did_ pass out, you suffered a minor concussion. Therefore it's not recommended to be by yourself for a few days."

"So you mean…" Leia began, fearing for the worst.

"Do you have a friend who could watch you for a few days?" The nurse asked.

"Luke's on a mission to Thyferra…" Leia began not wanting to finish that sentence.

"Hey your worship! What am I chopped bantha?!" Han exclaimed, inwardly smirking because he _knew_ he was the only other person Leia knew on this base. Han lightly placed a hand on Leia's shoulder, causing her to glare at him. "I have no problem taking care of the Princess."

"Alright, and your highness, you have no problem with Captain Solo watching over you?" The nurse asked.

Leia shrugged, "I suppose I couldn't just stay here a few more nights?"

"I would normally say you could, except with the sudden influx of sick patients, we want to try to make all of the cots available." The nurse explained.

Leia nodded, "Alright."

The nurse handed Han the bag containing the bactagel, and Han flashed a smile at her, "Thanks."

* * *

After a few more quick last-minute tests, Leia was released from the infirmary. She couldn't help but glare at Han a little as the two walked down the corridor. Han stared back at her, "What?" He asked, knowing exactly why she was pissed.

"Nothing." Leia mumbled as she crossed her arms.

"Is someone upset because their favorite scoundrel has to take care of them for a few days?" Han asked smirking.

"First of all, you are not my "favorite" anything," Leia began, walking slightly ahead of him. "And second of all, I think I'll be perfectly fine taking care of myself."

Han raised an eyebrow, "You sure, your worship? Because not taking care of yourself is what got you sick in the first place."

"Again, that is none of your concern."

Han sighed. "Look I'm just trying to be nice, Leia." Leia stopped walking at the mention of Han using her actual name instead of some childish nickname. "I know you're sick. You just need rest. Luke's not around but he asked me to watch over you, and whether you like it or not I intend to keep his promise."

Leia looked at him for a moment, and actually believed he was being sincere for once. After coughing, she replied, "Alright." The two continued down the passageway.

"Would you prefer to stay in your room or on the Falcon?"

"Is the Falcon warmer?"

"We can certainly raise the temperature."

"Alright, I guess the Falcon then." Leia crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. She really didn't want Han taking care of her for a few days. She wished Luke was back, the two friends get along a lot better than her and Han do. The two walked in silence for the remainder of the trip back.

As they walked into the hangar where the Millennium Falcon, they were greeted by none other than Chewbacca. "Your worship's gonna be joining us for a few days until she gets all better. Is that okay with you?" Chewie roared in reply, and went to go say hi to Leia.

"Hi Chewie," Leia smiled warmly at her Wookiee friend. The three boarded the ship and Han put the bag containing the bactagel down on the counter and turned to Leia. "Alright your worship, what do you want to eat?"

"I'm not very hungry," Leia answered taking a seat at the table in the Falcon's galley.

"You need to eat something." Han walked over to a cabinet and opened it, looking inside. "How about some soup? That's usually good for when you're sick." He pulled out a can and showed it to Leia.

"Fine, but please don't accidentally poison me or something." Leia slightly chuckled at her comment, before violently coughing a few times. "Ugh, why did I have to get sick?" She asked, hugging herself in an attempt to get warm.

"Because you overwork yourself." Han simply said, noticing that she was shivering. "Are you cold? Do you want a blanket or something?"

"That would be kind of nice."

Han left the room for a minute, and came back carrying a blanket, along with a shirt and pants. "You can borrow some of these spare clothes for the time being. You must feel gross being in that same jumpsuit. Don't worry they're clean." Han handed her the bundle of items. "You can change in my room."

Leia was shocked at how nice he was being to her. He could go from a scruffy nerf-herder to a sweet gentleman in seconds and that irritated her. But instead of complaining, she swiftly nodded and went to go to his room. Once inside, she took immediate notice of how messy it was. Clothes were scattered on his bed and the floor, and various weapons and tools were stacked on his desk. She felt the urge to tidy everything up, but chose against it, instead getting changed into the clothes he gave her. Leia felt weird putting on Han's clothing, but she did to escape her sticky, sweaty and smelly jumpsuit. She had to admit, putting on fresh clothes was _very_ refreshing to the sick Princess. She wrapped the blanket around herself and made her way back to the galley where Han was preparing the soup.

"Ah, you're back. I thought you passed out again you were taking so long." Han joked, not looking up from his cooking.

"Very funny. It was just hard to navigate your disgusting room. When was the last time you even cleaned it?" Leia asked.

" _That is none of your concern,"_ Han replied in a tone that mimicked how Leia had spoken to him previously.

"Very funny." Leia rolled her eyes and suppressed a small laugh. She will admit, she enjoyed the fact that her and Han were on the same level when it came to quippy one-liners and talking sassy to one another. Although it got irritating sometimes, she thoroughly enjoyed when they verbally sparred sometimes. It was somehow very refreshing to her.

Han looked up from his soup to glance at the Princess, looking _adorable_ in his clothes and wrapped up in the blanket. Instead of saying anything however, he returned to the soup which was nearly finished. "Alright, here you go your worship. Hope this is good enough for your royal standards."

"Oh please, I eat the same meals as everyone else on this base." Leia took a spoonful of soup and sipped it carefully. "It's good though. I like it."

Han smiled. "Well I'm glad I got something right." The two sat in silence as Leia finished her soup, much quicker than either of them expected. Leia didn't want to admit it, but she was starving. "Do you want more?" Han asked taking her bowl away.

"That's alright, I think I'll be fine for now." Leia yawned.

"With your concussion I don't think you're allowed to sleep, but do you want to rest on the couch for now?"

Leia sneezed before responding, "Y-yeah." She coughed a few more times. She made her way over to the couch and lied down.

"How do you feel?" Han asked.

"I'm really cold and sore." Leia answered, wrapping the blanket closer to herself, covering her mouth with it.

Han knelt down beside her and pressed his hand to her forehead. From this angle, the two were very close. She could feel Han's warm breath on her face, and his steady gaze calmed her. "You don't seem too warm to me, but that could be because of the bactagel. Just rest for now, but don't fall asleep. I don't want to have to rush you to the infirmary again—I'll have to start charging you for all these trips!" Han smirked before standing up, look down at Leia.

"If you're gonna charge me for going to the infirmary, then you have to give me one credit every time you do something annoying."

"Me? Annoying? I'm hurt sweetheart," Han smirked as he started to walk back to the galley.

Leia coughed. "You can be, at times."

Han was going to reply but couldn't reply due to the Princess's sudden series of coughs. He just decided it would be best to let her rest for now.

* * *

I originally intended to make this chapter a lot longer, but at the current rate, the chapter was getting way too long. So I decided to cut it in half. Expect chapter four soon ;) It's gonna get juicy! **Please** **review!** It motivates me to write more and publish more chapters! Thank you all for checking out this story, and stay tuned for chapter four.

-Leiasbunsofsteel


	4. Chapter 4

For the rest of the day, Han and Chewie worked on the Falcon while Leia stayed on his couch, reading a book. As it grew later and later, Han and Chewie retired their work for the day. They entered the Falcon to see Leia in the same spot in which they left her. "You awake, your worship?" Han called.

"Yes, and would you please stop calling me that?" Leia answered from under a pile of blankets.

"You should probably eat some dinner before sleeping for the night," Han instructed pulling out another can of soup. "How about some more soup?"

Leia wanted to fire back some insult about his cooking and insist that she didn't need any food, but instead she simply replied, "Sure that sounds great." She was shocked by her own statement. Was she finally warming up to that nerf-herder? She never knew Han could be so kind up until this very day, and it made her blush a little.

As Han cooked the soup, Leia couldn't help but watch him as he effortlessly moved throughout the galley. There was something almost graceful about the smuggler, as if he was enjoying himself. "Do you like cooking?" Leia asked standing up from the couch, blankets still wrapped around her tiny body. The sudden movement caused Leia to stumble back a little, and her vision temporarily blurred. A second later she regained composure and walked over to the galley.

"I find it relaxing." Han remarked, stirring the soup with a metal spoon. He scooped a little out and held it out to her. "Wanna taste it?"

Leia hesitated for a minute before deciding to try it. She wrapped her fingers around Han's, making his heart race a little. The sudden contact threw him off, and as she brought the spoon—and his hand—close to her mouth, and took a giant bite. he couldn't help but get a little turned on. He pushed his dirty thoughts aside and took the spoon back. "Is it ready?"

Leia nodded, licking her lips, "Mmh yeah, it's definitely good."

Han took two bowls from the cupboard and poured the soup into the bowls. He also grabbed a Corellian ale for himself, and water for Leia. The two sat in silence as they ate, the only noise coming from the scraping of the spoons against the bowls.

"I wonder how Luke is doing in Thyferra…" Leia wondered, breaking the silence.

"I'm not sure, I hope he's doing okay though. When is he scheduled to return?" Han asked.

"Luke is scheduled to return three days from now, hopefully with a report that can be useful to the Alliance." Leia answered.

"What was the mission even about?"

"That's classified." Leia simply said, her dark eyes flickering from the soup up toward him. He could see a certain sparkle in them, and he knew whatever mission Luke was going on—had to be of great importance.

"Aw come on your worship, you can't tell me?" Han begged.

"Sorry laser-brain, but you're technically not even a proper Alliance member yet. Just an ally."

Han mumbled something into his soup and took a large spoonful. He took another bite before looking over to the bag containing the bactagel and pulled out the instructions. "Alright, so it says you need to apply the bacta to your forehead, chest and back." Han stated.

"Yes, I can manage just fine." Leia responded nonchalantly.

"Alright…" Han trailed off, passing the bag to her. They finished their soup in silence. He didn't want to further protest, just so the two wouldn't end up getting into a huge fight.

Leia stood up from the table, "I'm going to take a shower." She grabbed the bag of bacta on the table and hurried out of the room. As Han resumed cleaning up everything, his mind drifted to Leia. Recently, his thoughts automatically went to her as he day-dreamed about a life with Leia in it. He often fantasized about him and the Princess together; whether it was on some dreamy vacation planet, or nestled under the covers sleeping in each other's arms. They were crazy thoughts, and ones that he would never disclose to anyone—not even Chewie.

* * *

Leia stepped out of the shower stall feeling better than she's felt in weeks. The warm water soothed her aching bones and muscles, and the feeling of being clean after spending a night at the infirmary left her feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. She still felt very sick, but at least getting clean made her feel a tad better. She held the towel close to her body as she slowly opened the door to the refresher, just to see Han waiting on the opposite side. Leia stumbled back in shock and let out a small yelp of panic. "Captain Solo what are you doing?" Leia asked, hiding behind the door so Han wouldn't see her in just a towel.

"Sorry your worship, just wanted to make sure you were doing okay. Y'know, after you passed out last night and all." Han uttered from the other side of the door. Honestly, he wasn't _trying_ to do anything, but Leia would never believe him.

"Okay, well as you can see I'm perfectly fine." Leia replied, peeking her head around the door to look at Han smirking at her. "What?" She asked narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, nothing. I was just going to let you know you're more than welcome to use my bunk for the next few days. It'll be a lot more comfortable than the couch."

"Where would you sleep then?" Leia asked, trying to remain hidden behind the door.

"On the couch," Han stated simply.

"Alright," she agreed, before closing the door to the refresher again. She emerged a moment later wearing Han's shirt and pants, with wet hair flying loosely down her back. She walked past Han and took a seat on his bunk. She took a bottle of the bactagel out and applied a little bit to her forehead and chest. The sensation was weird, feeling like her chest was on fire, yet frozen at the same time. She took a few of the pills the doctor left for her, and soon was underneath the covers of Han's bed. Despite his messy room, she kind of liked it. It made her feel comfy and safe. Feeling the medicine take effect, she soon fell asleep.

* * *

 _The room was dark and cold. Leia couldn't see or hear anything. She just felt cold metal against her skin. Suddenly, lights illuminated the room and across the way she saw Darth Vader looming menacingly over her. "Tell us where the rebel base is, or pay the consequences." His voice echoed through Leia's body, sending a shiver down her spine, shaking her to the core. She was terrified, and wanted nothing more than to get out of this place. She closed her eyes and screamed out as waves of pain coursed through her body, rattling her soul. She could barely move her body, as she felt her skin bubbling with burns. She wished this torture would end. She hoped that it would be over soon…_

Suddenly Leia shot up out of bed, sweaty and shaking. She gasped for air to fill her screaming lungs, and shut her eyes, afraid that Vader was still in the room. After a moment, she opened her eyes and realized she wasn't on the death star. Vader wasn't here. She was in Han's room on the Millennium Falcon. She took another breath and shuddered, trying to calm down. After a moment of sitting up in the dark, she swung her legs onto the side of the bed and stood up. Her legs felt like jelly and it was proving difficult to even walk without doubling over. She exited Han's room and made her way to the galley, hoping a cup of tea might relax her. As she entered the galley, a voice startled her.

"Can't sleep?" Han was sitting at the counter, with a cup in his hands. He noticed her frightened state and instantly became worried. "Hey, are you okay?" He inquired.

Leia shook her head. "No…" She whispered, taking a seat next to him.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Han asked.

"How did you know?" Leia remained looking down at her hands in her lap, not meeting his gaze.

"When I brought you to the infirmary the night you passed out, you had a reaction to the needle from a medical droid. You were shouting things like Darth Vader and the Death Star…" Han trailed off. "I could only assume you were having a nightmare that was triggered by the needle."

"You'd be correct." Leia closed her eyes, trying to expunge the horrific memories of the nightmare she just had. Suddenly, she felt a warm hand press against the small of her back, and she opened them, her brown eyes meeting Han's hazel ones. "I haven't slept well in weeks."

Han gently rubbed her back, and Leia didn't protest. Suddenly, she did something that surprised both of them. She leaned into his arm and allowed him to embrace her. He wrapped a supportive arm around her, and the two stayed like this for a while. "I'm sorry," Han said.

"It's nothing you can't fix. It's nothing _I_ can't fix either…" Leia admitted. "I just feel helpless." She was surprised she was opening up to Han like this. It was probably a combination of feeling delirious from a lack of sleep, plus being sick.

She coughed for a little, and Han offered her his cup. "It's tea, would you like a sip? It might soothe your throat." Leia nodded and took the mug from him and sipped it slowly, feeling the hot liquid run down her sore throat. The warmth filled her belly and calmed her a bit.

"Thank you." Leia looked at him, and offered a tiny smile. In this lighting, and with him holding her this close, she couldn't help but get butterflies in her stomach. She looked at him intently, and brought her face closer to his.

"Of course, Leia." Han replied. He rarely called her by her actual name, but when he did it made Leia's heart flutter. He inched his face closer to hers, while still embracing her.

"What are you doing?" She asked, knowing full well what was doing. She _hoped_ he was doing what he was about to do.

"Being bold." Suddenly, he pressed his lips to hers, and held her close to his body. It was a tender kiss. Very light, and filled Leia's heart with joy. It was almost electrifying, and it sent a shiver down Leia's spine. This only prompted Han to hold her even closer to his body. The two kissed and felt safe in each others embrace, comforted by the silence of each others passions.

* * *

aaaaand that's chapter four! I hope you enjoyed it ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I know I certainly enjoyed writing it. As always, leave a review, and I'll be back with chapter five soon!


	5. Chapter 5

If Leia couldn't sleep before, she certainly couldn't sleep now. Thoughts of Han swirled through her mind. She replayed the kiss over and over again. Leia still couldn't believe what had happened— it was all so sudden. Leia turned over to the other side of Han's bunk. It was empty. After the two had the brief kiss, Leia was too astonished to say anything that she abruptly excused herself and left the room baffled and confused.

Now Leia was wondering if that was the right thing to do. What if Han hated her for suddenly leaving? She knew he could never…but a part of her silently thought that, regardless of how irrational it was.

Leia closed her eyes. Maybe she was just overthinking it. She would talk to Han about it in the morning, and everything would be fine. But now that posed an even more difficult question. Just _what_ exactly was she going to talk about? Her feelings? They were obviously there. She liked Han. Leia's heart sunk. But he was leaving soon. He wasn't going to stay with the Resistance forever, so what would she even say? Whatever they decided to do, both would end up getting hurt anyway.

Leia rolled over again. Sleep was not going to be an easy thing tonight.

* * *

Han stared blankly at the ceiling. The kiss…What was he thinking? What possessed him to do something like that, knowing full well that he was going to be leaving in a few short months to pay off Jabba the Hutt. He was just hurting her. He knew he was, yet all he wanted to do was march into his room, pull her close and never let go. Han sighed.

He knew he had to pay off Jabba. If he didn't, things would only get more complicated for him, and everyone else around him. The last thing he wanted to see was anyone close to him get hurt. He would never forgive himself if anything ever happened to Leia, Luke or Chewie. Staying with the Resistance for this long was already dangerous; he knew he would have to move on soon.

Han closed his eyes. _Moving on._ This was one thing Han didn't want to think of. Moving on from this world he's lived in. The Resistance. All of his friends. Leia. Han knew he couldn't leave her. He cared about her too much. But would staying with her end up hurting her more? Han couldn't know for sure. One thing was certain though, sleep was not going to be an easy thing tonight.

* * *

 **Hi everyone! So sorry for not updating this in a while. College started up for me and I'm just now having some free time to write another chapter. I know it's super short, but I plan on writing a much longer one next! Please review, and tell me what you think so far! Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for chapter 6!**


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